Separating and recovering metals and alloys



Dec. 5, 1933. c. B. WHITE SEPARATING AND RECOVERING METALS AND ALLOYS Filed Aug. '7, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l l ilH dffoz new 1933- c. B. WHITE 'S'EPHATING AND RECOVERING METALS AND ALLOYS Filed Aug. 7, 1933. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW/M gmentoa Patented Dec. 5, 1933 SEPARATING AND RECOVERING METALS AND ALLOYS Clarence B. White, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application August 7, 1933.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for separating metals and alloys by heat treatment and agitation.

Theobject of the invention is to provide a furnace adapted to operate upon a continuous succession of material embodying metals and alloys of differing melting points and providing means for periodically agitating the material undergoing heat treatment to cause the metals or alloys having a lower melting point to separate from those having a higher melting point.

For the purpose of this invention 1 provide a furnace having means for heating it to the desired temperature and provided with an arched or reverberatory roof. The foraminated or sieve-like bottom of the heating chamber is inclined from the inlet door or opening to the outlet door or discharge opening and is provided ,means for periodically producing a sudden violent agitation of the materials to thereby cause the molten portion of the material to separate from the solid material and be conducted into suitable channels.

My invention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a furnace construction embodying my invention;

Figure 2 isa sectional plan view taken on the plane of the inlet and discharge openings;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the manner of supporting and agitating the screen bottom;

Figures 5 and 5 are fragmentary detail views to illustrate the means for periodically agitating the screen.

The furnace is constructed with walls of refractory material as usual and .with an arched roof to reflect the hot gases down upon the material as it traverses the heating chamber. It may be heated in any suitable manner by gas, oil or coal. 1 have illustrated a coal fire resting on the grates 5 upon opposite sides of furnace, the gases and products of combustion passing through the flues 6 into the heating chamber and escaping through the stack 9. The bottom or floor of the heating chamber comprises a plurality of plates 10 riveted to structural longitudinal beams 12 and transverse or cross beams 14.. The plates are provided with perforations to allow the melted metals to drop through the floor and be received by the inclined pans or drain plates 16, from whence it flows into re- Serial No. 684,049

ceptacles or molds 17. The foraminated floor and supporting means constitute a screen or tray to receive the materials, indicated at 18, as they are delivered and deposited thereon from the chain 19 of the conveyor as it passes over the drive pulley 20. The material 18 may be, for instance, discarded automobile radiators, which are to be salvaged by melting and separating the solder while delivering the brass metal portion which can then be transferred and melted in another furnace.

In order that the materials may be automatically fed or moved through the furnace from the inlet 23 to the outlet 24, the foraminous screen or floor is inclined at a suitable angle, the longitudinal beams 12 beingsecured to and carried by a pair of wrought iron orsteel I-beams 25 which extend through vertical slots 26 in the side walls of the furnace and are hinged at one end to supports 2'7. The opposite ends of the I-beams are connected by a cross-bar 28 and normally bear upon a solid block or anvil 30.

As the material is heated somewhat above the melting temperature of the lower melting point metals or alloys, the larger conglomerations flow or drop down upon the screen, but in order to dislodge and separate the greater part of the melted materialiI havefound that it is necessary to not only suddenly jar the material or bodies on the screen by raising the screen and then suddenly arresting its descent, as by dropping it upon a support, but in order to effectually remove substantially all of the molten metal, the screen must be subjected to a series of vibrations and jarring impact-s which cannot be accomplished by merely allowing thescreen to drop upon a support below.

I have therefore devised an apparatus .for periodically producing aseries or train of jarring impacts and rebounding movements which are transmitted to the bodies resting on the screen. A cam device 32 secured to a rotating shaft 34 intermittently engages the cross-bar 28, raising the free ends of the I-beams 25 as indicated in Fig. 5 When the cam passes from under the beams, as indicated in Fig 5 the beams carrying the heavy screen structure and the load, drop with a sudden impact upon the anvil 30. Since the beams 25 project several feet upon either side of the furnace and are tied only at the hinge end, the resiliency of the beams together with the inertia due to the moving weight produces a series of rebounds from the anvil, as indicated in Figs 4 and 5 thereby subjecting the material on the screen to a whole series or train of jarring vibrations and repeated impacts. I have found that this rapid succession of impacts as brought about by the free vibration of the long resilient supporting levers effects a separation of the molten metal from the solid metal bodies in a manner which is far superior to all methods heretofore employed Before the molecular vibrations of he material produced by one impact have ceased, the succeeding rebounds and impacts of the bars upon the anvil reinforce the vibrations, "the series of impacts apparently coacting to produce a multiplied effect not otherwise attainable, The vibratory motion is enhanced by the location of the screen and its load substantially midway between the fixed end and the anvil. location of the load, by its inertia, cooperates with the resiliency of the metal beams to enhance the amplitude of the vibrations and increase the number of rebounds.

The repeated vibrations cause the articles or materials under treatment to move gradually along the inclined screen. The movement of the materials is greatly facilitated because of the fact that each movement of the cam pro-' duces a series of impacts and resulting vibratory movements.

My invention therefore provides a continuous process for separating high melting metals from lower melting metals and alloys, the articles or materials being fed in succession onto the screen by the conveyor and being moved along the screen by the vibrations induced by the action of the rotating cam upon the ends of the beams which carry the screen, the lower melting metals and alloys being melted and separated in transit while the high melting materials are delivered through.the discharge door.

I have described in detail the particular construction and arrangement illustrated for the purpose of clearly and completely disclosing one embodiment of my invention but it is obvious to engineers that various changes may be made without departing from the purview and scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for separating lower melting from higher melting metals or alloys, comprising a furnace having suitable means for heating it and provided with a foraminous tray or screen sloping downwardly from an intake opening to a discharge opening in the walls thereof to receive the material to be treated and conduct it through the furnace, a plurality of metal supports extending through openings in the side walls of the furnace having one end of each support attached to a suitable anchorage and the opposite end free, an anvil upon which said free ends normally rest, said screen being secured to said supports and means operating to periodically raise said free ends of said supports and drop them upon said anvil, the resiliency of the metal supports coacting with the inertia of the screen and material thereon to produce a succession of rapidly recurring rebounds and impacts of the supports with the anvil to thereby separate the molten metal from the solid metal of said material.

' 2. Apparatus for separating lower melting from higher melting metals or alloys, comprising a furnace having suitable means for heating it and provided with a foraminous tray or screen sloping downwardly from an intake opening to a discharge opening in the walls thereof to receive the material to be treated and conductit through the furnace, resilient supporting means secured to said screen and extending transversely of said screen through the side walls of the furnace, and means operating periodically to produce a succession of rebounding vibratory movements in said resilient supports.

3. Apparatus for separating lower melting from higher melting metals or alloys, comprising a furnace having a foraminous screen sloping downwardly from an intake opening to a discharge opening in the walls thereof to receive the material under treatment and conduct it through the furnace, beams horizontally extending through the furnace walls, pivotally mounted at one end and freely movable at the opposite end, said screen being secured to said beams intermediate their ends, an anvil or block normally supporting the free ends of said beams, and means operating to intermittently raise said free beam ends and then permit them to drop upon said anvil, the elasticity of I the beams together with the inertia of the screen and superimposed material, translating the impact into a succession of rebounding vibratory movements which separate the 1-15 molten low melting metals from the solid higher melting metals.

4. Apparatus for continuously separating high melting from lower melting metals or alloys, comprising a furnace provided with suitable 120 heating means, and having a foraminoustray or screen sloping downwardly from an intake opening to a discharge opening in the walls thereof, means for feeding material to be treated upon the upper end of said screen, metal sup- 125 ports secured to the screen and projecting through apertures in the opposite side walls of the furnace, means operating to periodically lift and then drop one end of said metal supports to initiate a vibratory movement of the supports 13 and superposed screen and thereby cause the molten material to separate from the solid material and drop through the openings of the screen.

CLARENCE B. WHITE. 

